Florence March: ‘How does theatre survive a pandemic?’ A podcast for CNRS Le Journal

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Since its birth in the 5th century BCE, theatre has recurrently faced the challenge of epidemics, as in Shakespeare’s time. Faced with the health crisis and the closure of playhouses, theatre practitioners are turning to digital technology, while the number of visitors to dedicated websites has exploded, as Shakespeare scholar Florence March explains in this podcast. In her view, theatre, which is indispensable to human society, always rises from its ashes. Even so, its vital energy cannot suffice alone without public support that extends beyond the current crisis. One consequence of the Covid-related crisis has thus been to emphasise the crucial importance of cultural policies in France.